Review: Family Feast by Brooke Graham

By looking at the cover of Family Feast you may think this is a sweet story about a family get-together. However, between the covers is an hilarious and highly imaginative story filled with chaos, and most importantly, love. 

illustrated by Kristen Willis

Publisher: Exisle Publishing

Imprint: EK Books

Publication date: 29th September 2026

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: AU$27.99 (hardcover)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Kean & Creative

Family Feast is a lively, fun and highly imaginative story narrated by a young girl named Tallula. Tallula thinks her family is embarrassing and act like wild animals.

I love the opening page of Family Feast with Tallula's family at the beach; buried in sand, drinking coffee and relaxing. Then, turn the page and see her family how Tallula sees them, all turned into wild animals. An hilarious picture of animal chaos.

Family Feast is witty, engaging and full of heart. It is a story about family and how we perceive them.

When Tallula finds out her friend Mia is coming to their family feast she writes a list of rules and hopes her family will follow them. She also tries to encourage her Nan not to cook her traditional food. On the day, Tallula's family are their usual wild selves. There is lots of different food and plenty of noise and Mia loves it.

Kristen Willis' illustrations are endearing and as Tallula's family change from human form to wild animals, who do seem to be having loads of fun, they are also visually entertaining. The illustrations are in lovely earthy tones with pops of red throughout and the animals all in a vivid blue.

Reading Family Feast is a wonderful opener to discuss different family traditions and food. It's a story that teaches children that families are all different and celebrates diversity and cultural differences in a fun and engaging way.

My rating 5 / 5 🍝🍝🍝🍝🍝

Recommended age: 4 - 8 years

#familyfeast #childrenspicturebook #readtoyourkids #readoutloudbook #ausbookbloggers #growingreaders #littlesquirrelsbookshelf #keanandcreative #booksontouraus

Book Mail - 25th October 2026

 Once a month I will be posting the new books I have received for review, won and purchased over the previous month. 

The books from right to left:

The Dirt Eaters: Welcome to the Family by Jacqueline Graham

(review copy)

Publisher: self published

About the book: Clancy likes to be in charge. Rusty never listens. Together, they're the Dirt Eaters and they're always up for an adventure.

When the boys discover a scared little puppy hiding in a rubbish bin, everything changes. They take him home, name him Dash, and before they know it, he's running licking, chasing balls.... and stealing their hearts.

A Girl, a Boy, a horse and a Zorse by Rebecca Green

(review copy)

Publisher: UWA Publishing

Publication date: 13th October 2026

About the book:

Orphaned, angry, and refusing to go to school, 12-year-old Roo wishes on a shooting star for a horse. The next day she wakes to find not only a horse but also a zebra outside her bedroom window! Her nan says she can keep the horse as long as she returns to school. When her horse gives birth to a zorse, Roo finds herself at the centre of world attention and with more chaos than she could have imagined.

Bravepaw and the Songstone of the Deep by L M Wilkinson

(my purchase)

Publisher: Albert Street Books

Publication date: 1st September 2026

About the book:

Titch and Huckleberry have journeyed a long way from their cosy home on the Plateau - and all they want to do is go home, eat some tasty plums and play in the cooling stream. But Titch is a hero now, whether she likes it or not, and heroes do not give up, not when Alluria needs heroes more than ever before!

Titch knows that there are many ways to be brave, and she has friendship, brave and true, on her side - but will that be enough to stand against the forces of darkness, when all of Alluria is cracking open?

Now, at the final hour, will the prophecy be fulfilled? Can Bravepaw unite the Gems of Harmony and save the world?

How Our Garden Grows by Saurav Kiran Shrestha

(review copy)

Publisher: Westwords

Publication date: 1st September 2026

About the book:

One day, Lia noticed a seedling poking out from a hedge and drooping onto the footpath. She found a twig to prop it up. From Nepalese-Australian writer Saurav Kiran Shrestha and Estee Sarsfield's whimsical illustrations of Australian suburbia this is the story of how one small act of caring can bring us together, no matter where we're from, and how neighbours can become a community. 

Christmas Wild by Jevita Nilson

(my purchase)

Publisher: CSIRO Publishing

Publication date: 1st October 2026

About the book:

Christmas is Rosie's favourite time of year. She loves the presents, the tree, the twinkling lights! So, when it's time to pack away the decorations, Rosie wishes she could bring Christmas with her on the family camping trip. But her disappointment soon turns to joy when she learns there are plenty of Christmas surprises to be discovered in nature all year round.

Catching a Wave by Catherine Meatheringham

(review copy)

Publisher: Affirm Kids

Publication day: 27th October 2026

About the book:

Lexi’s big brother and sister can boogie board. But no matter how hard Lexi paddles and kicks, the waves all pass her by – or turn her upside down! Will Lexi ever be able to catch a wave?
A celebration of summer, courage and finding your own way.

Bert and Billy by Mark Carthew

(review copy)

Publisher: Leaping Lizards Press

Publication date: 10th November 2026

About the book:

A mountain troll ― who desperately wants to be liked ― gets together with a passing billy goat to help solve his problems, in a delightful story about foibles, friendship and fun!

Albert and Christmas by Ian Brown

(review copy)

Publisher: Graffeg Books

Publication date: 1st October 2026

About the book:

Albert the tortoise has never experienced Christmas. He’s always asleep for the winter. When he dreams of festive fun, his garden friends decide to create a special summer ‘not Christmas’ for all to enjoy. The gang get busy making a not very traditional Christmas tree, decorations, gifts, greetings – and even snow. All doesn’t go to plan. Can they pull it off?

Amazing Astro Animals by James Foley

(review copy)

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 29th september 2026

About the book:

Before humans ever left the planet, animals boldly went where no man had gone before. Even now, these unwitting test pilots and space travellers outnumber their human counterparts.

From the creator of the award-winning, bestselling picture book ‘Stellarphant’, comes a book about the truly amazing animals that have been rocketed into space. From microscopic tardigrades to a pregnant cockroach, from last-minute mutts to unhatched chicken eggs, these animals and their stories are weird, wacky and wonderful. Chock-full of extraordinary facts and fun, this is an absolute must read.

The Little Bird That Fell by Bradley Trevor Greive

(won copy)

Publisher: ABC Book 

Publication date: 1st September 2026

About the book:

A tender and uplifting picture book for children that retells the story of Penguin Bloom from the perspective of the rescued magpie chick herself.

The true and inspiring story of Sam Bloom and Penguin has won many hearts all around the world. Now, in this moving and delightful picture book, we hear the story from the rescued magpie chick herself.

A Splash of Rainbows by Suzanne Patterson

(review copy)

Publisher: Starfish Bay Press

Publication date: 6th October 2026

About the book:

Addy has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and there are lots of things she would like to do, but her achy joints make certain activities a challenge. At the Razzle Dazzle Athletic Fun Day, Addy wants to enter all the events with her friends. Trying the egg and spoon race, she holds tight, but her hand groans, she wobbles, and the egg splatters to the ground. Determined to find something she is good at, Addy finds the art tent, and it is here that she discovers a secret talent. An uplifting story about resilience and joy and individual talent.

#childrensbooks #picturebooks #newrelease #bookmail #middlegradebooks #littlesquirrelsbookshelf #ausbookbloggers #readwithyourkids #kidsbookswelove

#asplashofrainbows #thelittlebirdthatfell #amazingastroanimals #albertandchristmas

#bertandbilly #catchingawave #christmaswild #howourgardengrows #bravepawandthesongstoneofthedeep #agirlaboyahorseandazorse #thedirteaterswelcometothefamily

Review: The Garden of Lost Girls by A. L. Tait

 With The Garden of Lost Girls A. L. Tait has delivered a mystery crime read for the tween audience. Although I do love the plethora of middle grade books with dragons and magic The Garden of Lost Girls is a pleasant change.

Thirty years after Jessica's disappearance her niece and nephews are acting in the play that Jessica wrote for her year 12 exams. The play was on stage the night Jessica disappeared. Sam, Gracie and Archie are hoping the replay may jog someone's memory to something they saw that night.

The Garden of Lost Girls is a page-turning mystery and I love how the three teen protagonists worked together, piecing together snippets of information. It was like a jigsaw puzzle where the whole picture isn't revealed until the last piece is placed in position.

Tait draws the mystery out, drip feeding information in a way that has the reader engaged and keen to keep the pages turning. I was so invested in what could have happened to Jessica I almost turned to the end of the book. My anticipation of the final reveal was that great. When I did get there I must say, I never expected that ending!

The teens are polite and respectful although Sam does lash out until he realises how much the play means to his mother. I felt empathy for the teens as it would be hard living with the ghost of someone you've never met.

There are plenty of themes included that tweens will relate to; surfing, drama, crushes and books.

Tait treats her young readers with intelligence with a plot that is complex and the mystery compelling, however also sensitive to the age of the intended audience.

If your tweens have been asking for crime reads, The Garden of Lost Girls is the perfect option.

My rating 4 / 5 👧👧👧👧

Recommended age 10+ years

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Publication date: 1st September 2026

Genre: Middle Grade 10+ Crime

Pages: 288

RRP: AU$18.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the author

#crimereadsfortweens #Australianauthor #thegardenoflostgirls #altait #littlesquirrelsbookshelf #ausbookbloggers 

Review: Albert and the Flood by Ian Brown

It is such a delight to be back with everyone’s favourite tortoise Albert in Albert and the Flood. The Albert series is inspired by a real life tortoise owned by the author's family.

illustrated by Eoin Clarke

Publisher: Graffeg Books

Publication date: 17th June 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 35

RRP: AU$19.99 (softcover)

Source: Courtesy of the author

In Albert and the Flood a torrential downpour endangers Albert’s backyard friends. The planned Games Day needs to be postponed as the rain pours down and the water rises.

Albert and friends must work together to get the smaller creatures to a safer place.

Eoin Clarke's illustrations are exceptional. Starting from that first splash of rain through to a torrential downpour. The scared faces of the insects as they scurry for cover and then pictures of the insects all working together. It’s all so endearing and loads of fun. 

I love how Clarke shows the insects with human qualities; the larger worm giving the small worm a hug, the rescue ants wearing fluro vests and the worms mopping up water in their underground tunnel. There is so much detail and so much to see in each illustration.

Albert and the Flood is another must-have addition from the Albert the tortoise series. A wonderful story about teamwork and helping those in need.

Albert and the Flood would be a valuable addition to your home or school library.

My rating 5 / 5 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Recommended age: 4 - 10 years

#albertandtheflood #childrenspicturebook #growingreaders #kidsbookswelove #albertthetortoise #ausbookbloggers #littlesquirrelsbookshelf 

 

Review: Literally Hilarious! - Families Gone Wild

 The title says it all! These short stories are Literally Hilarious - a collection of twenty-one short stories, poems, jokes and skits about families gone wild.

You think your family is embarrassing! Read Literally Hilarious - Families Gone Wild.

From swimming carnival disasters to a family camping trip from hell, joker dads to a gran with bad manners, each story is filled with adventure and mishaps but also brimming with love.

Each story is short enough to keep even the most fidgety child engrossed.

What I especially love about Literally Hilarious is; the fun doesn't stop with the reading of the stories. Every story has its own unique QR code  that when scanned opens up extra activities, colouring downloads, recipes, questions about the story and ideas for more family fun.

Literally Hilarious - Families Gone Wild has added a new genre to children's fiction with this electronic interactive anthology.

My rating 4.5 / 5 👦👧🧑👩½

Average over the 21 stories

Recommended age: 6 - 9 years

Publisher: Daisy Lane Seed & Just Write for Kids Aus

Publication date: 22nd August 2026

Genre: Junior Fiction / Anthology

Pages: 194

RRP: AU$17.99  (softcover)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#literallyhilarious #justwriteforkids #booksontouraus #anthology #juniorfiction #humourforkids #getkidsreading #kidsbookswelove

Review: Ella and the Call of the Wild by Cassy Polimeni

 Ella and the Call of the Wild is book 4 in a fun eco-series by Cassy Polimeni featuring eco-warrior, nine-year-old, Ella and her friends.

Book one: Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra, Ella moves to a new school and makes friends with Mai. She saves the neighbouring frogs from a building site and builds a frog pond in her yard.

Book two: Ella and the Sleepover Party, Ella's has a birthday sleepover at the Zoo. She needs to deal with friendship rivalry when her friend from her old school and Mai have a disagreement. All Ella wants to do is explore and learn about the animals.

Book three: Ella and the Mystery of the Missing Frogs, finds Ella having to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the frogs from her backyard pond and try to stop her little brother getting in the way.

In Ella and the Call of the Wild, Ella's class are given penpals; students at another school over a thousand miles miles away. Ella's class is learning about the rainforest and their penpals live in the rainforest region of Queensland.

Ella doesn't know what to write about. She thinks she doesn't do anything interesting. She soon finds a connection to her pen pal through their shared love of frogs and how they want to protect them.

After a ranger comes to the school and talks about protecting the rainforest and how frogs can end up far from home where the environment does not suit them, Ella hatches a plan to help save the travelling frogs and educate people about what to do if they find one.

Ella is surprised what a difference she can make when she finds her voice.

Ella and the Call of the Wild is such a fun story and a wonderful introduction to caring for the environment for young readers. Ella shows that one person, with the help from some friends, can make a difference.

Ella and the Call of the Wild is the perfect book for classroom discussion on the ecosystem and learning that reptiles need to live in their own environment to survive. This is a fun, informative and educational story for little eco-warriors, frog lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Ella and the Call of the Wild is an illustrated chapter book that will have young readers searching for more.

Charming black and white full and half page illustrations by Hykie Breeze give the reader time to pause and ponder, giving a visual connection between character and reader.

See the publishers website for teaching notes: https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/ella-and-the-call-of-the-wild?_pos=1&_sid=d5b00987e&_ss=r

My rating 5/ 5 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

Recommended age: 6 - 9 years

Publisher: UWA Publishing

Publication date: 1st August 2026

Genre: Junior Fiction

Pages: 108

RRP: AU$15.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Kean & Creative

#ellaandthecallofthewild #cassypolimeni #hykiebreeze #juniorfiction #ecowarriors #kidsbooksonecology #australianauthor #littlesquirrelsbookshelfblogspot #keanandcreative #ausbooksontoour #ausbookbloggers #booksforkids #bookishkids #raisingreaders

Review: Shifters by Nicole Kelly

 Shifters is a magical, shape shifter, supernatural adventure for middle grade readers.

Emily has felt lost since her mother left. She yearned to feel whole again, like she belonged. She often escaped into books when the world around her became too much.

When her father announces he has work in Japan Emily is heartbroken to leave her friends however she could never let her father go alone; they were all each other had.

On arriving in Japan, Emily feels as though she doesn't fit in. She doesn't speak the language or understand the culture. When she meets Koji, he helps her learn the language. He is fun and outgoing, although Emily senses a mystery surrounding the boy. As they take in the sights of Kyoto and learn to trust each other, Emily is witness to events beyond her belief.

There comes a day when Emily must draw on all her courage to save her friend from the ancient magic that surrounds him.

With friendship at its core Shifters is a story of trust, courage, embracing new experiences, forgiveness and fitting in.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the sights and foods of Kyoto and the information on Japanese myths and legends. Emily and Kyoto are fun characters, Emily shy and reticent, Kyoto confident and cheeky, they are easily identifiable to middle grade readers.

Each chapter is headed with a Japanese word and its meaning in English which I found to be an engaging way to learn some basic Japanese words and pique a child's interest in learning more words and customs.

Reading Shifters is sure to ignite curiosity and encourage further research on Japan, its language and customs.

Nicole Kelly has developed a simple plot that will be easy for young readers to follow and includes a sprinkling of words that will extend a child's vocabulary.

Shifters is rich in action and intrigue woven through a spellbinding setting.

Shifters is perfect for fans of The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble, Tsunami Girl by Julian Sedgwick, and anyone who loves stories with themes of a reluctant hero, found family, and secrets.

My rating 5 / 5 🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊

Recommended age: 8 -12 years

Publisher: Hawkeye Publishing

Publication date: 5th June 2026

Genre: Middle Grade / Supernatural 

Pages: 146

RRP: AU$24.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#shifters #middlegradereads #middlegradefantasy #shapeshifting #australianauthor #littlesquirrelsbookshelfblogspot #ausbookbloggers #bookssetinjapan